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With each release, Arc (the British duo of Mark Shreeve and Ian Boddy) ventures out across new sonic territory. The CD Fracture (53'34") exists at the intersection of their previous works (the space-rock based) Blaze and (cosmic-influenced) Arcturus. The title may be referring to the odd arithmetic that yields the engaging sequencer rhythms found on Fracture. The patterns roll and crest dramatically as Boddy and Shreeve follow the beat's story. Lyrical melodies lend a sense of dramatic narrative while chilled synth pads pull the mood into dark areas. The first four of the five tracks build amazingly from spare beginnings. On top of a halting, mechanistic pattern grows layers of synchronized arpeggios that switch direction and colour in breathtaking dexterity. The closing piece is a sprawling realization that extends into a cool textural and atmospheric realm - an excellent ending, one shrouded in fine cosmic dust. Continually finding new meaning in the Spacemusic style, Arc has produced yet another unexpectedly perfect album.
- Chuck van Zyl/STAR'S END 1 November 2007 |
